Incident Details
A commercial pilot was operating a flight for a skydiving club, carrying a group of parachutists. The aircraft was climbing to 4,500 feet above ground level when it encountered turbulence. At that moment, the second jumper was in the process of exiting the aircraft. The aircraft suddenly dropped, and the parachutist struck the horizontal stabilizer.
Damage Assessment
The impact caused the outer four inches of the horizontal stabilizer to bend downward. Additionally, the stabilizer assembly was pulled one inch from its normal attachment to the fuselage. Following the incident, the pilot executed a normal landing. A subsequent inspection of the aircraft revealed bulkhead damage in the tail section.
Outcome
The parachutist involved was not injured. No other injuries were reported. The pilot landed the aircraft without further incident.